Thursday, March 25, 2010

Period movies have always drawn me in...especially the ones set in the Renaissance, Victorian and Edwardian times. There is something about them that transports me to that era, and lets me escape the modern-day troubles, politics, and hustle-bustle around me....even if it is for only a couple of hours. Nestled in a cozy throw with a cup of hot chamomile tea, I can completely forget the woes of the day and gather inspiration to make something new....usually something that I would not normally make, such as these Edwardian cuffs.

So when you need a wee bit of inspiration to help you step outside the box, consider a momentary escape by watching "The Golden Bowl" or "The Wings of the Dove"....you'll be amazed at how inspired you will feel!

Here is wonderful blog link to many other period movies....but I warn you, they do become addictive! I keep this bookmarked so I can refer to it time and time again.....http://periodmovies.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Between WWI and WWII, Elsa Schiaparelli and Coco Chanel dominated the fashion world. While Coco is best known for her "little black dress", Schiaparelli rocked the world by transforming Surrealism into fashion art. She collaborated with Man Ray, Salvadore Dali, Jean Cocteau, and other surrealists to turn the early fashion world upside down. Here is her famous and first design....the "bow-tie" sweater:An Italian-born Parisian resident, Elsa was known to her friends merely as "Schiap". She was the first to use shoulder pads and animal prints, and is the inventor of the color "shocking" pink.....hence the name of her signature perfume and autobiography which I am currently reading.
Every evening when I close her book, my mind races with unusual and crazy ideas to decorate my evening bags as I lay awake until 2:00 am. Would I actually have to nerve to step outside my comfort zone and try something....shall we say....."irreverent"? I wasn't sure I had it in me...I'm such a traditional designer at heart! But as fate would have it, I felt the urge to peruse my box of vintage gloves and handbags. (I don't know why.....I just do this about three or four times a year.) I set the box aside as I was getting ready for bed and tossed a pair of gloves on top of it. When I awoke the next morning, the gloves that I had so carelessly tossed on top of the box were lying in an unusual "bow" shape. That's it!.....a Schiap-inspired "bow" for my clutch! How could I resist the idea? I have come to learn as a designer that inspiration lies all around us--in every aspect of our lives. We have to keep our eyes sharpened and our minds open so that we recognize it when it's under our noses...it could be our only chance, you know.
Even though my daughters laughed curiously at my latest design, I have a feeling there will be a few more Schiap-inspired, glove "bow" evening bags to follow....I have to find some way to use some of the beautiful vintage gloves!Schiap's twelve commandments for women:
1. Since most women do not know themselves they should try to do so.
2. A woman who buys an expensive dress and changes it, often with disastrous result, is extravagant and foolish.
3. Most women (and men) are color-blind. They should ask for suggestions.
4. Remember-twenty percent of women have inferiority complexes. Seventy percent have illusions.
5. Ninety percent are afraid of being conspicuous, and of what people will say. So they buy a gray suit. They should dare to be different.
6. Women should listen and ask for competent criticism and advice.
7. They should choose their clothes alone or in the company of a man.
8. They should never shop with another woman, who sometimes consciously or unconsciously, is apt to be jealous.
9. She should buy little and only of the best or cheapest.
10. Never fit a dress to the body, but train the body to fit the dress.

11. A woman should buy mostly in one place where she is known and respected, and not rush around trying every new fad.
12. And she should pay her bills.

The book Shocking Life by Elsa Schiaparelli is full of details about her life, her work and her travels. If you desire some whimsical inspiration, consider reading it and doing some research on Elsa.....you'll be amazed! My vintage copy of "Shocking Life" is a recent eBay purchase which gave ME a shock when I saw how high the bids could go!!!...luckily I got mine during the Super Bowl while everyone else was stuffing their faces with chips and chili con queso... :)

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About Me

I have been lucky in love for 20 years and am the mother of two beautiful daughters....who could ask for more?
My passion is creating beautiful things from vintage treasures. I love anything having to do with classic fashion and adore all things vintage. I usually try to incorporate a vintage piece in what I wear every day...sometimes it's the dress or top....but most of the times, it's an accessory. There is something magical in vintage items that inspires me and takes me back to a time when beautiful accessories/clothes were made by hand with lots of thought and love....not kicked out by the thousands in an assembly line for the masses. My appreciation for vintage has been the motivation for Sue Jack Designs, my cottage business on Etsy, where I sell evening bags, statement necklaces, and bracelets, which are created mostly from vintage pieces that I've found at estate sales and garage sales.
Most of all, I try to remember to appreciate every day that God gives me on this earth....to enjoy my family and faith, to live every day to its fullest, because I exchanged a day of my life for it.